WEBVTT
IN 1958.
>> I TOLD HIM I THOUGHT IT WAS
TERRIBLE.
REPORTER: MELVA LEE SCRUGGS IS
TALKING ABOUT BUDDY DEANE, THE
HOST OF A BALTIMORE DANCE SHOW
THAT RAN ON TV FROM 1957 TO 1964
SIX DAYS A WEEK.
THE SHOW FEATURED ONLY WHITE
KIDS DANCING SO SHE WROTE HIM A
LETTER IN THE FALL OF 1958 TO
TELL HIM THAT'S NOT FAIR.
>> I FELT THAT BLACK KIDS SHOULD
BE ALLOWED TO COME ON THE SHOW
.
WHEN HE GOT THE LETTER, WHEN I
DON'T KNOW HOW LONG AFTER.
HE CALLED MY MOTHER I RAN HOME
FROM SCHOOL AND SHE SAID BUDDY
DEAN WANTS YOU TO CALL HIM.
REPORTER: SCRUGGS CALLED AND
DEAN SAID SHE COULD BRING 20
FRIENDS TO THE SHOW.
HE SENT HER TICKETS.
SHE ROUNDED UP HER FRIENDS AND
THEY WENT.
>> IT WAS CALLED NEGRO DAY AND
THEY HAD IT ONCE A MONTH AFTER
THE INITIAL GROUP APPEARED.
THAT WAS MY GROUP.
REPORTER: JUST 4 YEARS EARLIER
THE SUPREME COURT DECIDED THE
LANDMARK BROWN VERSUS THE BOARD
OF EDUCATION CASE THAT FORCED
SCHOOL INTEGRERATION AROUND THE
COUNTRY.
SCRUGGS, THEN MELVA LEE, WAS ONE
OF THE BLACK STUDENTS TO
INTEGRATE FOREST PARK HIGH
SCHOOL IN NORTHWEST BALTIMORE.
WE TOLD EVERYBODY AT SCHOOL,
AND EVERYBODY KNEW THAT BLACK
KIDS WERE GOING TO BE ON THE
SHOW.
THE DATA WE WERE ON, EVERYBODY
WAS WATCHING.
REPORTER: EVEN THOUGH THE SHOW
WAS ON SIX DAYS A WEEK.
THE BLACK KIDS GOT TO APPEAR
MUCH MORE INFREQUENTLY.
>> I THOUGHT WE SHOULD BE ON THE
SHOW BECAUSE WE COULD DANCE AN
HE FELT SO TOO.
BUT THEY NEVER HAD THE WHITE
KIDS AND BLACK STUDENTS TOGETHER
ON THE SHOW.
REPORTER: PEOPLE PICKETED
OUTSIDE THE WJZ STUDIOS WHERE
THE SHOW WAS HELD.
PUBLISHED REPORTS SAY THE
STATION WANTED TO INTEGRATE THE
SHOW.
WHEN DEANE TOOK IT TO A
COMMITTEE OF WHITE KIDS WHO
APPEARED AS REGULARS, THEY SAID
NO, THEIR PARENTS WOULDN'T ALLOW
THEM ON THE SHOW IF THAT
HAPPENED.
DEANE WAS EVENTUALLY LET GO AS A
WAY OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM AND
THE SHOW ENDED IN 1964
SCRUGGS SAYS AFTER SEEING JOHN
WATER'S HAIR SPRAY SHE THOUGHT
OF WRITNG TO HIM MANY TIMES.
BUT DID NOT.
THEN WHEN WBAL-TV HELD AUDITIO
FOR HAIRSPRAY LIVE SHE DECIDED
TO TELL HIM HER STORY AND SENT A
LETTER.
NOW MORE THAN 50 YEARS LATER SHE
KNOWS THE SEPARATION WAS WRO
BUT HAS NO REGRETS ABOUT WHAT
SHE DID TO TRY TO CHANGE THING
THAT WAS THE WAY THINGS WERE.

The "Corny Collins Show" in Hairspray is loosely based on the Baltimore teen dance program called the "Buddy Deane Show." One Baltimore woman fought to get black teens on the popular show back in 1958.